(00003859)

The African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is the only species of Oystercatchers that breeds in Africa. They breed between March and September. The rare and endemic coastal bird in South Africa is acutely threatened by extinction. Although 75 percent of the world population of the Black Oystercatcher lives in South Africa and on the coast of Namibia, less than 500 breeding pairs were counted in 2001. The species is on the red list, and immediate protective measures are urgently required.